YES MEANS YES! Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape is a groundbreaking new look at rape, edited by writer and activist Jaclyn Friedman and Feministing.com founder Jessica Valenti. The anthology tries to move beyond "no means no" to connect the dots between the shaming and co-option of female sexuality in our culture(s) and some of the ways rape is allowed and encouraged to function.

At this program, you'll hear from and get to talk with Jaclyn Friedman and one of the book's fantastic contributors, Hazel/Cedar Troost.

"Yes Means Yes reminds me of why I came to call myself a feminist. It's unapologetic, politically astute, and affirming of women and our sexualities. These gutsy writers analyze with passion their experiences of incest, racial stereotypes, and sex work, and they dare us to imagine a world where we're safe and empowered." -- Daisy Hernandez, co-editor of Colonize This! Women of Color on Today's Feminism

This event is free and open to the public.Reservations are recommended and can be made online, by emailing events@prairie.org, or by calling 312.422.5580. Light refreshments will be served.

More about our panelists

Jaclyn Friedman is a writer, performer and activist, and the editor of the brand-new book, Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape. Her poems and nonfiction can be found in numerous publications, including PW.org, PoetsAgainstTheWar.org (where her poem "State of the Union" was selected as a Poem of the Day), in the Underwood Review, and in the Lambda Award - nominated anthology Pinned Down By Pronouns. Her opinion column, "Where Your Mouth Is," was a popular monthly feature in Sojourner: The Women's Forum until the magazine's untimely demise in October 2002, and she produced a biweekly podcast by the same name, which can be heard on alternet.org. Friedman holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and has received a 2001 Cambridge Poetry Award, a 2004 Sommerville Arts Council, Artist Grant, and a recent fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center. She has been a contributing writer for PopPolitics.com. To learn more, visit Jaclyn Friedman online.

Cedar/Hazel Troost is a trans and polyamorous femme living in Chicago, practicing explicit verbal consent, and passionate about ending trans misogyny. Ze is a former member of the University of Minnesota Transgender Commission, co-organizer of the 2007 Twin Cities Trans March, and the original author of the Cisgender Privilege Checklist currently residing at T-Vox-but hir real love is gardening. Hir essay in Yes Means Yes is called "Reclaiming Touch: Rape Culture, Explicit Verbal Consent, and Body Sovereignty."

"An illuminating and inspiring exploration of the relationship between valuing female sexual pleasure and putting an end to rape. This is a book that could change the world." -- Jean Kilbourne, author of Can't Buy My Love, So Sexy So Soon, and the creator of the film series Killing Us Softly

"Yes Means Yes is a welcome and much needed resource to help all of us both value and respect female sexuality while eradicating a rape culture." -- Aishah Shahidah Simmons, producer/writer/director, NO! The Rape Documentary

"A fresh, vibrant collection that imagines a world without rape for ALL women-not just those who are white, middle-class, straight, thin, and able-bodied." -- Carmen Van Kerckhove, founder and publisher of Racialicious.com

The Illinois Humanities Council [IHC] is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, the IHC, our partnering organizations or our funders.